They were joined by former Merchant and Royal Navy sailors, representatives from the Sea Cadets and members of Wiltshire Council staff
.

Conservative Cllr Bucknell said:

It is always a moving and emotional ceremony, and a fitting way to mark the vital role the Merchant Navy has played in our nation's history.
We will never forget the immense courage of countless Merchant Navy sailors who kept Britain fed and supplied during the darkest days of the War, when U-Boat submarines were hunting down our Atlantic convoys.
Many died, and we owe our freedom to their selfless bravery.

Merchant Navy Day falls on 3 September - the date in 1939 when SS Athenia became the first Merchant Navy casualty of the war with the loss of 128 passengers and crew.